What’s wrong with this picture?

This December we’re asking our supporters to imagine the inconceivable: a child alone without a family at Christmas.

As you can see, something vital is missing from the traditional picture on our card: the baby in the manger has no one to love or protect him. He has no family.

We’ve chosen this image because, sadly, this is the reality for 8 million children who are confined to orphanages around the world right now.

At a time when so many of us look forward to spending time with our families and cherishing those we love, these children will spend Christmas alone in loveless institutions: never hugged, never nurtured, never cherished, never special.

Our appeal tells supporters about Nikita, a little boy of four who is facing Christmas shut away in an orphanage in Moldova, one of the poorest countries in Europe. You can read his story here

Hope and Homes for Children is working in Moldova and around the world to find safe and loving families for children who live in orphanages. We are at the forefront of a global movement to make orphanages history and ensure that all children can grow up in families.

We hope you agree that our Christmas campaign underlines how wrong it is for any child to be alone, without love, at this time of year or at any time of year.